Sitaram Kunte: Velvet Glove, Iron Hand!
Want to become Thane CP-, first tell me who is your friend?
Zhol in private Testing Labs of Mumbai?
Bhansali movie in Diamond Bourse? Not a good picture!!
Read on…
Not many IAS attend Mantralaya these days. Some are finding ways to stay home; some find ways to be at work. Senior-most IAS like the Chief Secretary, many of the ACS and Principal Secretaries are seen at Mantralaya while many of the Secretaries and project heads are finding reasons to be at home. If some have children appearing for Class 10th or 12th, some are sitting at home due to the fear and complications arising out of this ‘Indian’ strain of Corona. Obviously, if there are even 3 IAS officers in Mantralaya there are tea parties happening every day for good one hour which is good fodder for my weekly blogs! And guess what is the favorite topic of discussion these days in tea breaks? No, it isn’t change in Government any more, it is constant comparison between current CS Sitaram Kunte v/s ex CS Ajoy Mehta. Not many have been left in Mantralaya to side Mehta these days, hence Kunte is arguably winning the battle hands-down.
If Ajoy Mehta was excellent in handling CM Thackeray extremely well, Kunte wins the battle of discussion for handling the second wave Mumbai & Maharashtra faced this year. Though Mehta’s prodigies argue about Corona being a totally new concept and a more difficult challenge last year so handling it was more challenging, Kunte’s people say-Mehta had able support of the CM and along with the CM in initial days even Praveen Pardeshi and 6 to 7 IAS who were deputed to the BMC had worked tirelessly, thus adding an advantage to Mehta last year. Kunte too enjoys equal & good support from bureaucrats as Kunte isn’t brash & outspoken like Mehta and does not do punishment postings, say his team. But what I hear Minister Jayant Patil and Kunte had a bit more than an argument/bad blood between them over 3 new irrigation projects allotment and the cost sheet made of it. Kunte after understanding Minister Patil’s ‘urgency’ straight away sent the file to the Planning & Finance department where the cost escalation as much as 10 times issue was raised (which Kunte had understood I presume), but Minister Patil had made it an ego trip to get these projects CM’s nod anyhow in record 10 days’ time. Kunte is a really man with iron hand in a velvet glove. Being the CS, it was easy for him to just pass these projects looking at Jayant Patil’s history & seniority, but he found a way for us to know the costs are escalated. Now the Government only is such, that A ‘truce’ was reached after someone bigger than Jayant Patil and Kunte, intervened. I am sure the intervening person understood the ‘escalated cost’ part from Patil with more clarity.
Moving on, Thane CP post has been kept vacant in such crucial times. Collector Rajesh Narvekar is over-burdened, Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma, apart from his wife and Minister Jitendra Awhad, has blocked all numbers coming on his mobile phone (mostly of journo’s) and being such a sensitive city, Thane has no Police Commissioner for a long period now. Heard Home Minister Walse-Patil is on a due diligence spree before choosing the right candidate. There were 4 contenders for the post. It is but natural for Walse-Patil to do the homework looking at the embarrassment state government faced and is facing when the ghosts are toppling out of IPS’s cupboards. ATS chief Jai Jeet Singh is the top contender for the post, Minister is now worried he was ‘friendly and on good terms’ with ex CP Param Bir Singh. Now, Mr. Minister, someone here and there know everyone and everyone is friends with everyone in bureaucracy. Too much investigation and due diligence is also not good for such an important post to be vacant for days & weeks together.
Just got few blood tests done post Covid-19. That is not important. Important is the information the blood test person who came home gave me at my ‘Suburb’ home. He said back-office people, lab technicians and many higher ups in every known blood sample Laboratory’s (You name it) have made CRORES in this one year, to give negative reports of positive patients. He told me as I was inquiring about a friend was working in back office, now he has been sacked for the same reason! I feel there should be an inquiry of all labs. Let things get normal, it’s a promise we will bring everything to light. We are fearless, not like that fake Kulkarni of Fekmat and ‘Bhai’ of any Feksatta claiming to be the only journalists covering Health & Medical Education.
It’s been more than 2 years now the MOU between Maharashtra Government and The Gems & Jewellery sector comprising of the Bharat Diamond Bourse and factories located at SEEPZ was done. Maharashtra Government through MIDC has allotted 21-acre prime land to them and now the Bourse’s ‘acting agent’ a BJP functionary is making all the efforts to move this entire market from BKC and SEEPZ to Navi Mumbai. After 2 years, finally the project is ticking. The main problem is, already 2 times bigger and more grandeur Bourse is scheduled to open up in Surat in 2022. See, the diamond bourse is commanded by players from Surat since ages. For information 7 out of 10 diamonds of the world are ‘finished’ in Surat factories. So, it will be much easier and practical for people of Surat who control the market to have the market/bourse at Surat as majority of them do the daily up-down. Mumbai Diamond merchants have already invested in the shops/offices there. Now this industry does some billions of dollars business per year and Maharashtra government gets taxes and revenue. To see it going to Gujarat, hence, during the BJP-Sena government, it was planned to counter attack Surat and open the same Bourse here in Navi Mumbai. But what information I have, not many will be willing to invest in Navi Mumbai as people of Surat find BKC difficult, forget Navi Mumbai. Also, will Uddhav Thackeray again challenge Modi’s Gujrat? The office bearer of the BJP who is in fore-front these days is surely not going to get any support from the businesses community as no one is ready to invest on MIDC land or buy shops and galas. And secondly, the BJP office bearer’s recent trips to Minister Subhash Desai’s residence are like that ‘Bhansali’ movie Savariyaan’ –promised a lot, but gives nothing.
Last not the least, current CS’s favourite Dr Nitin Kareer has just been discharged from a hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 for the second time. Sir, I know it is a daunting task to be heading Revenue department, but take care of your health too…
Vikrant Hemant Joshi
